It used to be a firehouse, it used to be an Irish restaurant, and now it’s Foundation Kitchen & Bar.
A friend clued us in to this new downtown Derry dining spot, and we decided to check it out on a recent Saturday night. We usually like to give a new restaurant a few months to get its act together before we review it, but in this case, we decided to take a chance — and we were not disappointed.
Foundation replaced Halligan Tavern in the old West Broadway fire station. The main entrance is on the side of the building at the patio. Inside, the dining room is to the right, and the large bar area (with more dining space) is straight back.
I was impressed with the decor, which features lots of dark woodwork that may have been carried over from Halligan’s, a place we never visited. The woodwork, coupled with an eclectic mix of dark light fixtures, gives off a sort of Celtic pub vibe (in my mind, anyway), while a huge wall mosaic made from shipping pallets in the bar made me think of a barn. With the low-wattage Edison-style bulbs, Mrs. Gourmet thought the dining room was a bit too dark (the couple beside us used their phone flashlight to read their check).
The menu is small, with seven appetizers (“Small Plates”), eight entrees (“Large Plates”), three salads and a handful of sides. There are a couple of Italian dishes, a few with Asian overtones and some American standards, so it’s hard to say if there’s an overall theme. Foundation is only open for dinner, so there are no sandwich offerings.
We usually take a while to make our choices, but we were abnormally efficient this night. We quickly agreed to try the Tempura Cauliflower ($14), and when we realized that we were both trying to decide between the Gnocchi ($19) and the Shrimp Risotto ($24), we ordered both, with a couple of extra plates for sharing.
Chili-ginger sauce coats the Tempura Cauliflower.
The Tempura Cauliflower was probably the best dish of the night. Tender, lightly battered cauliflower spears were gently fried and tossed in a chili-ginger sauce that avoided the cloying sweetness that some such sauces have, with just enough spice to make an impression. If this were served with rice, it would be an excellent lunch dish.
When our entrees arrived, we decided Mrs. G would take possession of the gnocchi and I started with the risotto. While we shared throughout, we ultimately decided that we had claimed the right dishes in the first place.
The Shrimp Risotto was a lighter, more colorful version than most risottos I’ve tried. Radishes, pea greens, green beans and a very citrusy lemon/arugula pesto, all garnishing the creamy, buttery risotto and grilled shrimp, made for a bright, summery variation on the traditional dish.
The gnocchi at Foundation Kitchen & Bar.
With Mrs. G’s gnocchi, the thick, rich mushroom sauce was the absolute star of the show. Absent the sauce, the bite-size potato pillows were a bit bland, but with it, the dish was a buttery, mushroom-rich treat. Green onions, shallots and shaved Parmesan completed a very tasty, if a bit heavy, dish.
Because we did the right thing and brought part of both entrees home, we had room for dessert. We tried the tiramisu and a piece of chocolate ganache cake. Both had good flavor, but they seemed a bit dry.
Our server, Kelley, was welcoming and helpful. The food delivery was a bit on the slow side, considering the small crowd on hand.
Value factor was only OK: Our bill for one appetizer, two entrees, two desserts and a glass of wine came to just over $95 with tax.
Foundation has only been open for about a month. We were surprised by the small crowd of diners when we arrived around 7:30 on a Saturday evening. Kelley said it was the smallest Saturday crowd they’d seen so far.
We hope that was an aberration, because Foundation seems like a cool spot, with good, creative cuisine and a menu that doesn’t try to get ahead of itself with too many dishes.
Foundation Kitchen & Bar 32 West Broadway, Derry; 603-216-5590; foundationnh.com Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 4-9 p.m. Cuuisine: Eclectic bistro. Pricing: Small plates, $12-$16; salads, $11-$14; large plates, $17-$26. {related_content_uuid}a5e0de8a-aa08-488c-b050-75b4cea77c50{/related_content_uuid}
Scores for Foundation Kitchen & Bar Atmosphere: 19/20 Menu: 18/20 Food: 18/20 Service: 17/20 Value: 15/20 Total: 87/100 {related_content_uuid}da27a03a-8c3a-4005-9931-62346d55dbed{/related_content_uuid}
